Collingwood's Nathan Brown out for season with shoulder injury

Jesse Hogan

As Collingwood officially loses one key defender, Nathan Brown, for the season due to injury, another, Ben Reid, has been cleared to return through the VFL.

The Magpies confirmed on Monday that the collision that forced the substitution of Brown in Saturday's win over West Coast caused sufficient damage to his right shoulder to require season-ending surgery, which he will undergo later this week.

"It obviously stayed out of the socket for a while - there's a bit of damage," head of football Rodney Eade told the club's website.

Eade said the consultation between Brown and a surgeon earlier on Monday had decided on surgery, which has an expected four-month recovery period. Brown will also have minor knee surgery.

The Magpies said Brown's key-defensive partner Jack Frost, who was also a casualty against the Eagles, had recovered well from concussion and they were hopeful he would play against St Kilda on Friday night.

Reid has been cleared to play his first match of the season after a calf injury, but an untimely break in the VFL, for an inter-league clash against the SANFL, means he will not be in contention for the Queen's Birthday match against Melbourne on June 9.

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"He's available for selection this week but he'll need to come back through the reserves and, unfortunately, the reserves have got a bye this week, so that delays his comeback by another week," said Eade.

Reid is likely to make his return in the VFL two days before the Queen's Birthday holiday, on June 7 against Sandringham. Eade said the 25-year-old may need an additional match in the VFL before he is considered for a senior return, which could mean a return in round 14 against Hawthorn.

The club will have to wait until next week to get a better idea whether small forward Ben Sinclair will be sidelined for about a month or possibly up to 10 weeks after injuring a hamstring iin the VFL at the weekend.

While Eade said the injury was to the opposite leg to the one Sinclair injured in round two, but that lingering bleeding was hindering a clear diagnosis.

"The early prognosis is that it's muscle, which is a good sign. We'll have another scan next week once the blood dissipates," he said.